Harry Potter and the Return to Godric's Hollow

CHAPTER TWO

Custos Pollentia

Soon after Arabella Figg's departure, all the kids went outside to play Quidditch. Harry wasn't that surprised to see that Ron was, in fact, an excellent Keeper. All the Weasleys seemed to have a knack for Quidditch in their blood; even Ginny was pretty good, Harry had to admit. Ginny was now in her fourth year at Hogwarts and Harry noticed that she wasn't as shy as she'd been before. She even whooped with everyone when Ron made a spectacular block.

After retiring from Quidditch for the night, as it was getting dark and Mrs. Weasley had called them in to get cleaned up for dinner, everyone sat back and relaxed. Ron and Harry played wizard's chess while Fred and George disappeared into their room for a while and Ginny helped her mom prepare supper. A while later, everyone sat down around the table for a scrumptious dinner. Halfway through the meal, there was a loud bang from the twins' room. Harry looked around with wide eyes, and Fred and George paled slightly. Their parents didn't seem to notice anything, however, and continued talking to each other.

"What was it this time?" Ron hissed.

"That would be one of our many experiments in our room for Weasley's Wizard Wheezes," Fred said. Both twins winked at Harry. That money must be going to good use, he thought. Last year, on the trip home from Hogwarts, Harry had given Fred and George his winnings from the Tri-Wizard Tournament: a thousand Galleons.

"I wonder which one it was?" George whispered, the amusement now gone from his face. He disappeared from the table in a flash to "use the toilet," or rather, see what had gone wrong.

"Er, Fred...Why didn't your mum and dad say anything about that noise?" Harry asked Fred, glancing over at Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, who both looked deep in conversation.

"That," Fred responded smoothly, "would be because she didn't hear it - George and I convinced Bill to put a special Sound Blocking charm on our bedroom walls. Nobody of age - besides George and me, of course - can hear anything going on inside our room." Just then, George came back down, looking extremely panicked.

"The engorgement potion went all over," George explained in a low tone, his eyes darting apprehensively to his parents, who were still conversing with each other. "You can barely walk into our room; the beds are almost blocking the door completely. Since so much of it hit everything, it won't wear off until after a few hours. The potion also mixed with some of our other experiments and I think a few of them are ruined. The Tapping Toffees are the size of watermelons now..." He pushed his food around his plate as he and Fred started mumbling to one another. Ron and Harry went back to talking about Quidditch, while Ginny excused herself from the table and went to her room.

Soon, Harry and Ron were also finished with their meal. After helping to clear the sodden dishes off the table, Harry and Ron finished their game of chess. After Ron won, of course, Ginny finally came down from her room again. She and the two boys took turns playing Gobstones. An hour later, Harry still smelled from his lost game of Gobstones against Ginny. Deciding they were tired and needed to get some rest, Harry and Ron ascended to their room. They lay down to sleep but stayed up talking about a few things. Finally, Ron fell asleep, and after Harry finally blocked out the attic ghoul's howls, he too was too tired to stay awake any longer.

~*~

Harry spent the next week at the Burrow playing Quidditch, doing homework for school with Ron, and listening to explosions and bangs from Fred and George's room, among many other things.

Harry found himself anticipating Sirius's and Hermione's arrivals even more as the days grew closer to them. He had received a letter from Hermione a few days ago, which hadn't helped to ease his waiting at all. In the letter, she had told Harry and Ron what a great time she was having at Viktor's. Ron scoffed at this point. "How could you have a good time with that oaf?" he asked Harry disbelievingly, but then turned a bit pink in the ears when Harry shrugged in agreement. They continued reading and both groaned as Hermione went on to tell them all about the history of Krum's ancient mansion and surroundings. Finally, she told them that she had to be going, since Viktor was going to be giving her a few flying tips.

"I hope she means a few Seeker flying tips," Harry said. "I want to try something new. I think I've almost got the Feint down."

Today, however, Harry received two owls. One of the letters was from Hogwarts and had his list of supplies for the upcoming term. Ron, who had received the same letter, frowned.

"Is it really already time for us to be getting these letters?" he asked forlornly.

The other letter, Harry was extremely happy to see, was from Sirius.

Dear Harry,

I suppose everyone's already told you that I'll be staying at the Burrow? I would've owled you sooner to tell you myself but I've been really busy. Remus and I will be arriving on the 7th of August. See you then.

Snuffles

Harry beamed; Sirius would be arriving in two weeks.

~*~

"Oy, Harry, wake up!"

"Wha--" Harry groggily opened his eyes halfway to see a splash of red hair and freckles above him. Ron jumped on the bed and started to humorously, at least to Ron, slap Harry's face with a pillow in attempts to wake him

"Gerrof me!" Harry yelped as he pushed Ron off his bed. He heard a small, satisfying thud and smiled sheepishly as he swung his legs over the side of the bed, nearly hitting his friend with his feet.

Ron got off the floor and stood up. "Happy Birthday," he said sourly while rubbing his back. "Hurry up and get dressed. Breakfast is almost ready."

Harry could already smell the sizzling sausage and eggs wafting upstairs, and quickly pulled on some overly large clothes and bounded down the stairs happily with Ron.

"Happy Birthday!" Mr. and Mrs. Weasley greeted Harry when he came down the stairs.

"Er - thanks!" Harry stammered. He wasn't used to having people remember his birthday. Sure, his friends remembered to send him cards and gifts every summer, but it was different to have this all in person. Harry stifled a yawn and sat down at the scrubbed wooden table beside Ron.

"Sorry I can't stay longer this morning, but I'll be back later for your surprise," Mr. Weasley said mysteriously. He winked at Harry and Disapparated.

"Surprise? What surprise?" Ron asked. Harry nodded his head - he wanted to know too, as it was his surprise, after all.

"Oh, you'll see." Mrs. Weasley's eyes twinkled.

"Why can't you tell me? I won't tell Harry!" Ron whined.

"You'll both find out soon enough. Now stop your complaining and eat your breakfast before it gets cold."

Mrs. Weasley was just forking more sausages and eggs onto the table when Fred, George, and Ginny wandered drowsily down the stairs. They seated themselves around the table and loaded their plates with food.

"D'you know what Harry's surprise is?" Ron asked his siblings. Ginny looked confused and shook her head no, but the twins said at the same time,

"Yup."

"Mum!" Ron sputtered, "How could you tell them and not me?!"

The twins snickered and looked at Ron with amusement painted across their faces.

"You're such a git!" George teased him. "You actually think mum would tell us?"

"So you don't have a clue either?" Harry asked them exasperatedly.

"Nope."

All the kids looked at Mrs. Weasley with expectant eyes, but she shook her head no. They knew they wouldn't get anything out of her.

"So what'd you want to do today?" Ron asked Harry, giving up.

Harry shrugged his shoulders. "The usual, I guess. Play Quidditch."

"Oh, yeah!" Ron shouted excitedly, and ran upstairs.

"Why's he so happy about Quidditch? We play that everyday!"

Ron came back to the table quickly. "Here, it's from all of us." He pushed a package he'd been holding at Harry, who picked it up and tore off the wrapping.

"Wow, thanks!" Harry exclaimed. He studied the small wooden crate that read "The Pro's set of Quidditch Balls, used all over the world by famous Quidditch leagues." After prying it open, Harry examined the balls. The Bludgers were wriggling, trying to get out, and the golden Snitch glittered. "C'mon, let's go test these out!" He jumped up and headed for the door, but turned around when he noticed no one was following.

"Er, Harry? Don't you think we ought to finish breakfast first?" Ginny asked.

"Oh. Right," he said as he sat down.

"Now who's 'so happy' about Quidditch?" George joked.

Everyone, including Harry, laughed at his over-enthusiasm before shoveling down the rest of their meal. Then Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred, and George went out to the Quidditch paddock to test out Harry's gift. After they all got somewhat sweaty and tired, they decided to go back inside.

"This came for you while you were out," Mrs. Weasley told Harry when he entered the house again. She handed him a small parcel and letter. Harry opened the note with Ron looking over his shoulder, and saw it was from Hagrid. The letter read:

Dear Harry,

Happy Birthday!

I've been very busy all summer working on errands for Dumbledore. Hope your vacation has been good!

I have some news for you when you get to Hogwarts. I also have the rest of your gift here, too. Can't wait until you're back!

Hagrid

"Wonder what he was doing for Dumbledore?" Harry said to Ron.

"I dunno. Whatever it was, I'm sure he won't be telling us any time soon. He's just as bad as Percy! I want to know what else he got you, too...I hope it's not some kind of beast..."

Harry imagined another Norbert sitting in Hagrid's hut and shuddered, and then he opened the part of his gift that Hagrid had given him now. It was a box of his treacle fudge ("Rock hard, of course!" Ron commented), and a small elaborately painted picture frame that was enchanted to glitter and glow.

Inside of the frame was a picture of Harry's parents, at about his age, clutching each other's hands and laughing, while Remus sat beside his dad, snickering. Sirius stood behind his parents making comical faces, no doubt what was making everyone laugh. The picture, you could tell, was taken in the Gryffindor common room and there were a few people whom Harry didn't recognize. One man was standing beside Remus, laughing along with the group, while a woman was standing beside Sirius, giggling. Both the man and woman looked familiar, but Harry couldn't think of who they were.

"Do you recognize these people?" he asked Ron, who shook his head no.

Harry finally tore his eyes away from the picture and went to Ron's room to put his Quidditch balls and gifts from Hagrid away. After taking another quick look at the enchanting picture, he came back downstairs, and there was a knock on the door.

"That would be your surprise, I expect," Mrs. Weasley called cheerfully from the other room.

***

For a split second, Harry and Ron stopped everything and looked at each other. Then there was a mad dash for the door. Unfortunately for Ron, he didn't see the edge of the rug curled up on the floor. He tripped over it, Harry toppling right behind him.

"Argh! Get your foot out of my ear!" Ron's muffled voice called to Harry.

Harry rolled off of Ron and crawled frantically to the door. Still on his knees, with Ron lying on the floor behind him, he swung open the door. To his great surprise, and Ron's, Hermione gazed in the house, restraining a squirming Crookshanks in one arm. Beside her was a black shaggy dog. Behind them were Mr. and Mrs. Granger.

"Harry!" Hermione squealed. Harry quickly stood up, feeling foolish, and was hugged by Hermione after her cat was dumped on the floor in the house. She then ran past him, helped Ron up and embraced him as she muttered something about boys always acting so childish. Harry was now turning to the dog that was sitting quietly on the porch, watching, with Mr. and Mrs. Granger looking in nervously behind it.

"Snuffles?" Harry asked cautiously.

The dog bounded inside, while Hermione brought her parents in. Harry closed the door behind them and the dog immediately transformed into Sirius, Harry's godfather. He walked over to Harry and exclaimed, "Happy Birthday!" before engulfing him in his arms.

"What was all that commotion I heard, boys?" Mrs. Weasley asked sternly as she rounded the corner.

"Hullo, Molly," Sirius said as he walked over to her and hugged her, too.

"Oh, why, hello Sirius," she responded rather awkwardly; apparently she was a bit more at ease with Sirius, because she hugged him back. "And Mr. and Mrs. Granger! I'm so glad you two could bring Hermione and stop by! Did you find the house alright?" Hermione's parents and Mrs. Weasley shook hands and started talking.

"I'm so glad to be here!" Hermione exclaimed. "You wouldn't believe how utterly dreadful Viktor's house was," she added in an undertone to Harry and Ron, "but I'll tell you about that later." Harry stole a fleeting glance at Ron's face, which looked... relieved? He looked again but his face seemed back to normal.

"I was just fixing lunch so it should be ready soon. Since we don't want Sirius seen, why don't you," Mrs. Weasley pointed at Ron, "Harry, and Hermione go get the luggage outside, then show Sirius up to Percy's room, and Hermione can put her things in Ginny's room." Then she bustled back into the kitchen.

"Might as well do as she says," Ron sighed, and Harry and Hermione followed him outside to get the gear.

"Your parents brought you and Sirius here?" Harry asked Hermione.

"Yes, we had to drive. It seemed like it took forever. It's not as easy to find your way to a wizard's house as it is to a Muggle's."

They lugged the belongings inside and Hermione took her trunk and other things up to Ginny's room. Ron and Harry showed Sirius to Percy's room and they set his small bag on the floor. Ron exited the room while Harry stayed to talk to Sirius.

"How've you been?" Sirius asked Harry while taking a seat on the bed. Harry sat down beside him.

"Okay, I guess. My summer's gotten better since I've arrived here. The Dursleys are still somewhat frightened of you," Sirius chuckled loudly, and then let Harry continue, "but they still weren't treating me that well. As good as it'll get, though, I think."

"Have you had any of your dreams lately? Anything strange been happening?" Sirius gets right to the point, Harry thought to himself.

"No." Harry started playing with a loose thread on the bedcover nervously. "I don't know if that's a good or bad thing. I mean, when I had them I at least knew that Voldemort was up to something, but now that I'm not having them, I don't have any idea at all."

"Just like everyone else," Sirius remarked.

"And I know it's going to be hard at school this year. I mean, after I let Cedric..."

Sirius had a fire in his eyes. "Harry, you listen to me. You know that was not your fault. You have to stop telling yourself it was. You did all you could; you even brought him back to his parents."

Harry stared somberly at the bedcover again and then suddenly remembered something.

"Where's Professor Lupin? You said he was going to be arriving with you."

"Oh, he had to take care of some business for me. He should come by around dinnertime. Now, I understand there are two pranksters that live in this house. I think they might be interested in a couple of lessons..." Sirius said while grinning mischievously.

"Yeah, I'm sure they are." Harry laughed and then took Sirius to go meet Fred and George. Ron was in their room with them looking over their newest jokes. When Sirius and Harry walked in, Fred and George got quiet and their eyes went wide.

"Harry! What do you think you're doing? He'll tell mum about all our stuff!" Fred hissed in Harry's ear.

"Don't worry guys," Ron said, "You know the Marauders?

"Do we know the Marauders? Of course, Ron, you know that," George said suspiciously while eyeing Sirius.

"Well then, say hello to Padfoot."

"No way!" George and Fred both shouted at the same time; Sirius grinned.

"Yes way, now let me see what you've got!" Sirius had a prankish glint in his eyes and now looked as if he was a teenager again. The twins and Sirius started looking over the products stacked all over the room and began discussing them fervently.

Ron rolled his eyes and said, "C'mon, let's go find Hermione." He led Harry out of his room. They stopped in front of Ginny's closed door to hear giggling.

"What on earth can they be giggling like that about?" Ron wondered aloud.

"Ron," Hermione's voice drifted out into the hall, "we can hear you, you know."

At this, Harry and Ron shoved the door open and walked in. Ginny and Hermione looked up at the boys and Ron said, "Well?"

"Well what?" Hermione asked, confused.

"What were you two giggling like mad about in here?"

"Nothing," Ginny stated.

Ron raised an eyebrow at her but Hermione changed the subject.

"Oh, I needed to tell you about my trip to Viktor's house!" Hermione screeched.

"Oy, keep it down!" Ron said, rather annoyed at all the giggling and screeching.

"What was so 'utterly dreadful'," Harry mimicked Hermione from earlier, "that happened?"

Hermione looked at her shoes and blushed. "Well, I knew that Viktor liked me," she was interrupted by a loud cough by Ron, "but I didn't know he liked me, er, so much. We were practicing flying one night, at sunset, when he came beside me and, er, well..."

"What did he do?" Ron asked suspiciously.

"He--uh--"

"He kissed her!" Ginny said, laughing as Hermione turned bright red.

"That bastard kissed you?!" Ron yelled, outraged. Realizing what he'd just said, he turned bright red too and sat down. "I mean, he's over-age now, isn't he? He's 18!" he said, trying to cover up his outburst. Harry and Ginny glanced at each other for a fleeting second, obviously with the same thought about Ron's feelings, but both looked away quickly. Hermione, however, didn't seem to think anything about Ron's actions.

"Yes. It wasn't all that bad, really, and it was only on the cheek. But I couldn't let him keep thinking I had more than friendly feelings for him. I told him I didn't like him like that and then he was mad, I think, or just gloomy. He was disappointed, to say the least, but I told him that many other girls would like how romantic he was," Hermione and Ginny glanced at each other and started giggling again, but hushed quickly at the irritated looks on the boys faces. Hermione continued with her story.

"Then he seemed to brighten up after that, but acted quite funny for the last few days of my trip. It was very uncomfortable for the both of us, so I usually did much of my own thing for the remainder of the trip."

"So you read Hogwarts, a History for the 23^rd time, then?" Harry scoffed.

Before Hermione could have a chance to retaliate, there was a loud explosion from the twins' room.

"Not again!" Ron said rawly as he jumped up and ran out of the room. Hermione gave Harry a quizzical look.

"Weasley's Wizard Wheezes and Sirius," he explained. Hermione nodded and the three remaining friends reluctantly went to see what had happened.

When they stepped out of Ginny's room, they were immediately greeted by a foul smell.

"Ugh! What is that horrific scent?" Hermione grumbled.

"I'm not sure..." Harry led the group, noses plugged, towards sounds of laughter and congratulations: the twins' room. When he pushed open the door he was almost knocked over by the odor that had emerged even more fiercely from the room.

"What have you boys been up to?" Hermione asked in a horrified voice.

"Oh, nothing really. Sirius here was just helping us out with a few of our projects. Ladies and gentlemen, I am proud to present to you, Teapot Tarts!" George rang out in a low announcer-like voice. He handed Harry one and said, "Well, eat it!"

"Are you kidding? I've known you two long enough to never, ever, eat anything you might have tampered with," Harry replied wryly. Then he smirked and asked, "What's it do?"

"Oh, that, my friend," Fred said, "is something that only you can find out by eating it." His eyes sparkled with excitement as he waited for Harry to give in.

Instead, he shook his head and said firmly, "No way. It'll make me explode or something."

"Fine! I'll show you, then." George couldn't contain himself any longer. He grabbed the tart out of Harry's hand and shoved it into his mouth. Ginny gasped.

"What is that? Eurgh, there's that smell again!" she cried. Everyone immediately reached for his or her noses.

"What's happening?" Hermione cried, sounding like an elf because her nose was plugged. Everyone watched as George's head expanded and molded into the shape of a teapot, bright red and glossy. The haze that was now streaming out to George's ears, nostrils, and mouth was covering the small room's floor. The effect lasted about thirty seconds, and soon George's large head began to shrink to its normal size. The room exploded into conversation.

"It worked!" Fred rejoiced.

"How did you make that nasty smell?" asked Ginny as Fred, George, and Sirius exchanged high-fives.

"Yes, how did you?" said Hermione, for once stumped.

"Well, when I was a Marauder at Hogwarts we pulled this great prank on Snape," Sirius explained. "We slipped a potion into his goblet--anyway, we got the idea from that potion. If you mix a peacock feather, some beetle eyes, and a few other... special ingredients, you get this potion. We just added that, a few drops of Engorgement potion, and a gram of Transfiguration powder to the pastry mix."

"And voila, you've got a Teapot Tart, proudly made by Weasley's Wizard Wheezes!

"That smell's horrible!" Hermione squealed once again. Then she added, "These effects - they only last half a minute every time, then, right?"

George looked warily at her and answered, "A little more or less. Why?"

"I just figured I should know so I could relieve Neville by telling him it would be over quick." Everyone laughed at Hermione, knowing that after all, Neville was usually the only person gullible enough to fall for Fred and George's tricks, though they still got their fair amount of jokes played on everyone else one way or another.

"People will think he's relieved, alright," scoffed Ron.

"Ron!" cried Ginny and Hermione at the same time.

Suddenly, the door to the twin's room opened and Mrs. Weasley burst in.

"What are you all doing in here? I called you down for dinner a few minutes ago; now hurry or it will get cold!" she said haughtily. Sirius looked at her guiltily and followed her out, and everyone trailed behind him.

"How did my mum not smell that? Or see those experiments set up?" Ginny whispered to Hermione at the bottom of the stairs. Fred and George glanced at each other before smiling mysteriously.

"Oh, Molly, Remus should be arriving--" Sirius was cut off when a man came tumbling out of the fireplace, to the great surprise of Hermione's parents, who were standing nearby.

"Remus! You finally made it!" called Sirius to his friend, Remus Lupin, who was also Harry's Defense Against the Dark Arts professor in his third year. Sirius clapped him on the back and then led him to the table to sit.

"I'm sorry, Molly. I hope I'm not intruding--"

Mrs. Weasley cut him off and said, "Nonsense Remus, you're a friend of ours. You're more than welcome to stay for dinner." Lupin nodded appreciatively at her and looked more at ease.

Everyone trooped outside, where there were two tables set up side by side. The adults sat at one end of the long table, as usual, while the kids seated themselves at the other. Sirius and Remus sat as close to the kids as possible.

"Professor Lupin, I'm so glad you're here! I had a few questions that I thought I could ask you; I'm a bit confused about this book I've been reading over the summer. It's about--" Hermione started.

Ron sighed and rolled his eyes. "Really, Hermione, I don't think he enjoys having to teach every second of his life. Especially while he's trying to eat."

Hermione glared at Ron but Lupin said, "It's quite alright. How about we talk about it after dinner, Hermione?"

"Thank you." She shot a smug look at Ron before helping herself to the steaming dishes on the table.

Arthur and Molly did their share of talking to Sirius and Lupin, but were soon turned onto Hermione's parents, whom Mr. Weasley was questioning exuberantly about Muggle objects.

"I suppose we had better let them do their thing," Sirius said.

"Yeah, things seem to work out best that way," Fred replied.

"Remus, you'll never believe these two!" Sirius said as he pointed to the twins. He lowered his voice and added, "Might give us Marauders a run for our money.

Both twins gaped at Lupin.

"You're a Marauder too?" George managed say.

Lupin chuckled. "Yes, I'm Moony."

"All that time you were our Professor and we never even knew..." Fred said disappointedly.

"Moony, what do you say that later on we, er, help these boys along with a few things?"

"I'd say that sounds great to me, Padfoot!"

Hermione shook her head incredulously and muttered something like, "They never grow up," and then Harry asked a question he had been dying to ask all night.

"Do you two know Arabella Figg?"

"Know her? Of course we know her!" Lupin replied. He grinned and looked at Sirius, who had a small smile plastered on his face.

"She was your mum's best friend," Sirius said with a far off look in his eyes.

"We went to school with her. She was a year younger than all of us Marauders. I suppose she finally told you who she really was, then?" Lupin asked Harry.

"Yes, just about a month ago, before she brought me here on special orders by Professor Dumbledore. But why didn't you ever tell me about her?"

"Dumbledore thought it best you didn't know," Sirius said, moving his carrots around his plate.

"Say, Sirius, you two weren't, you know, dating or anything back in your day, were you?" Ron questioned. Lupin burst out laughing while Harry thought he could detect a small tinge of red spreading through his godfather's face.

"Dating?" Lupin said incredulously, "More like killing each other!" Sirius smiled sheepishly and looked at his food like it was something very interesting. Taking the hint that he didn't like this topic of conversation, Harry started talking about something else.

After everyone had eaten their fill, Mrs. Weasley came back to the table with a fairly sizeable birthday cake. Everyone sang to Harry as he studied the confection, ready to blow out the candles. It seemed to be enchanted: the frosting glittered like freshly fallen snow and the candles shot sparks out the ends. Across it in emerald green lettering, in the same color of his eyes, were the words, "Happy Birthday, Harry!" Harry was extremely content at that moment; this was the first time he'd ever really had a real birthday cake to share with people who were like family to him, let alone have people sing to him and care so much about him. He smiled widely as he made a wish and blew out the candles.

The cake was delicious and everyone was able to eat at least two pieces, even though they had filled themselves up with dinner. That's how all of Mrs. Weasley's cooking was: there was always room for more.

After everyone finally excused themselves from the table, Hermione said good-bye to her parents, gave them each a quick kiss, and they left. She then sought out Lupin to ask him her questions; Ron, Harry, Ginny, Fred, and George went outside, where it was much cooler. Harry noticed that Ron's parents seemed to have taken to Sirius pretty well. He must remind them of Fred and George somewhat, he mused. Soon it got too dark to see, so they all scampered into the house again. Lupin went upstairs to see the twins' workshop, followed by Ron, Hermione and Ginny. Harry was about to go too, but Sirius held him back.

"Harry, I just wanted to say again, happy birthday," Sirius said as he pulled something out of his pocket. "I got you a little something. I hope you like it..." He held out a small parcel and Harry willingly accepted it.

It was small, shaped like a box, and it was fairly light, Harry noticed. He unwrapped it slowly, and was soon holding a black velvet case. When he snapped it open, he found inside the box a shimmering gold ring. Harry took it out and inspected it. Inscribed on the outside, where normally a gem would be, was a minuscule dragon. On the inside, Harry observed, there was a tiny red lighting bolt. Not knowing what to say, he looked incredulously at Sirius.

"Good, you do like it," Sirius beamed. "I need to, however, explain a few things because you most likely don't know the significance of it. It's called a Custos Pollentia, and it's very, very rare. You know the story Jack and the Beanstalk?"

"Yeah..."

"Then you know about the goose that lays golden eggs?"

"Yeah, I know that too..." Harry didn't know what this could possibly have to do with his ring.

"Good. First thing's first: the story's true. Well, the silly Muggle tale about that Jack boy isn't, but the Golden Goose is real. It only lays one golden egg a year, which is pure gold and holds in itself a special power, a special magic. Each egg is usually made into a Custos Pollentia, like this one you have here. It's made entirely of the gold from the golden egg. If it weren't, it wouldn't work right."

"It wouldn't work right? What does it do?" Harry asked, eyeing up the ring.

"Well there is a myth behind it. There's supposedly a special prospect of the Custos Pollentia. It's supposed to give you a magical power; you don't need a wand to use magic if you're wearing it. See, the outside of the ring has a dragon on it. This is the traditional symbol of power put onto these rings, and every single one that is made would have a dragon on it. On the other side is a red lightning bolt; this would be your power symbol, because you avoided death and the result was your scar. It's red because that's the color of power.

"I don't want you to tell anyone, except Ron and Hermione, about this gift. A few people might recognize what it is, but try to avoid any fuss about it. These are very scarce and hard to come across. You have to have it made specifically for its bearer because of their power symbol that's put onto it. Yours is the only one with a lightning bolt on it because everyone's symbol is different. No one else can use this ring because of that, but if you would happen to lose it then you are losing a very good piece of protection. That, and it's worth a lot of money." Harry, who had been staring intently at the ring most of the time, turning it over and over, finally looked into Sirius' face. He still wasn't sure what to say.

"Thanks," he at last stammered. "This is the best gift anyone has ever given me." He looked down at the ring yet again.

"I'm glad you like it," Sirius said with a smile as he laid a hand on Harry's right shoulder. "You have no idea how long it took me to finally get it. That's what I had to have Remus go get for me today." He pulled away and grinned as Harry slipped the ring onto his right hand.

"But, don't get disappointed if it doesn't work. It probably won't. There have been a few Custos Pollentia made, but they've never worked. That's why the power part is supposed to be a myth. They're still very valuable, though. It's truly made out of a golden egg. That's why many people want to have them," Sirius added, standing up.

"Now, let's go see what those crazy pranksters are up to, shall we?" And with that, they took off upstairs to Fred and George's room.